Canadian Rail_no217_1970

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217
1970
DOUG CUMMINGS ON
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MUCh information is being generated,
exchanged and discussed,
these
days,relating to the imminent CP
RAIL Natal-Roberts Bank,B.C.coal
unit-train operation,scheduled to
begin in 1970. The loading
end
of the operation at Natal,B.C. ,
will require at least four specj.al diesel units,equipped
with
something called "creep control".
This new device will enable the
),000 hp. units to run at speeds
as low as 1 to 2 mtles per hour,
through the loading docks
adjacent to the access road to the
coal mining operation. At
this
low speed, the whole train
will
be loaded in a continuous operation,without coming to a
complete stop.
Thus,the diesel units .,ill not have to overcome the total
inertia of the 11,OOO-ton loaded train. After loading,the 4 units
will haul the train out of Natal (Sparwood),on the western
slope
of the Rockies, through Fernie and via the IHndermere Sub. to Golden,on the main east-west line of CP RAIL. At Golden,the 4
units
with "creep control" will be detached and replaced by eight other
units for the run west over Rogers pasS,through the Connaught Tunnel and Albert canyon to Revelstoke and thence west to Kamloops ,
Lytton,North Bend and Agassiz,on the way to Roberts Bank,the bUlkterminal superport on the Straits of Georgia,not far from the present vancouver-Victoria ferry terminal at Tsawassen.
The unit trains are planned to run from Natal to Roberts
Bank and return every 72 hours,which implies that one unit
train
will all-lays be south of Golden on the 1tlindermere Sub,while
the
ONE OF JIM SHAUGHNESSY'S EXCELLENT PHOTOS graces this month's cover.Canadian National's no. 2022 and 2 sisters idle on the siding at Gohier Que.
in May, 1969. No. 2022 (c/n M-3491-21) was outshopped by MLW-l~orthington
Ltd. on March 13,1968 and is now usually assigned to Montreal-Moncton,NB
manifest freight service. Between times,she goes to Montreal East.
CP RAIL's ROBOT-2 contained the luABCO (Westinghouse Air Brake Corporation)
remote-control equipment. Generally similar to the LOCOTROL* (Radiation,
Inc.) system,each Company has their own special refinements.Photo CP RAIL
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other two will be west of Golden,at any giver. time. For the
trip
from Golden to Roberts Bank,it is presumed that mid train
diesel
units,under "slave-unit control",w111 be used. To CP RAIL, "slaveunit control" means ROBar. ROBar will be controlling the operation
of the mid-train diesel units,hauling the specially-built hoppers
each of which carries 105 tons of coal.
It is now necessary to define a few terms. A "slave unit"
is,as the name implies,a diesel unit which is being operated according to the commands of a "master" or control unit. CP RAIL seems
to have adopted the term "repeater" unit. The controlling mechanism may be installed in either a special car,such as ROBar,or in a
diesel unit,fitted with special equipment . The type of controlling
vehicle used depends on the railroad's preference .The results
in
operation have been varied.
There are advantages and disadvantages in these
kinds
of installations,depending on the system used. The ROBOT, or its
equivalent,can work with any diesel unit having compatable MU-op··
eration equipment. In the event of mechanical problems with
the
attached diesel unit,it is unnecessary to tie up a specialized or
"non-standard" unit in the shops. The electronic equipment in a
unit such as ROBar is generally easier to get at- for servicing as
well as repairs,compared to a diesel unit with specialized
controls. On the other hand,a car like ROBar represents added weight
in the train and too, there may be a limited number of these special cars available.
The modern science of electronics has made radio-controlled mid-train helper units practical. It has produced the
true
"slave" or repeater unit. It has permitted the realization of all
of the advantages of a mid-train assisting engine,while avoiding
most of its disadvantages. Moreover,it has produced a few
sidebonuses to boot! Two pioneers among North American railways
in
this kind of operation were the Southern Railway and the Great
Northern. Nowadays,many railways,among them CP RAIL, are
using
slave units. These lines include the Milwaukee Road, Northern pacific,Louisville & Nashville ., Union Pacific, santa Fe and Penn Central. Two basically similar systems are used ,one called LOCarROL
(as in ROBar I),marketed by Radiation, Inc.,and the other
HABCO
RMU,an abbreviation for Hestinghouse Air Brake Corporation, Remote
Multiple Unit control,as in ROBar II.
Any railway company obviously has a choice as to where
to install this new electronic equipment. It can be placed in
a
special car like ROBar or it can be fitted in a specially modified
diesel unit,either hood or cab. If the latter choice is selected ,
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SCHEMATIC ILLUSTRATION of communication from "master" unit to "slave"
Sketch courtesy Rediation,Inc.
unit.
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TRANSCEIVER
DISPLAY
CONTROL CONSOLE
I AIR8RAKE CONSOLE I
I THROTTLE STAND I
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COMMAND
LOCOMOTIVE
RELAYS AND
TRAIN LINES
LOCOTROL
LOGIC
LEAD
AIR8RAKE
MANIFOLD
RELAY
INTERFACE
TRANSCEIVER
LOCOTROL
LOGIC
SLAVE
AIR8RAKE
MANIFOLD
LOCOMOTIVE
TRAIN LINES
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SCHEMATIC
DIAGRAM of "slave" unit control system.
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then the mid-train units will usually be paired. With a ROBOT
in
cQarge,most any MU'ea unit can be used. If one of the mid-train
diesels has the special radio-receiving and transmitting instrumentation,then it becomes a very special and indispensable unit
and
must be kept in service at all costs.
When a ROBOT-type control car is used,one of the headend train units must be modified to include radio-signal sending
and receiving equipment and therefore the greatest utilization of
this specially-equipped diesel unit is as the lead unit on a freight or unit train with mid-train slave units. Moreover,it is
only one IIconversionll,whereas if a ROBOT-type control car is not
used, then one of the mid -train diesel units must also be
specially equipped. The "command II unit on the head-end is fitted with
a computer-like electronic assembly,which can send a radio Signal
back to the control car and thence through the MU connections to
the slave unit or units, ordering a certain function to be performed.After this "conunand" has been carried out,the slave unit,through the control car, sends a return radio Signal to the
command
unit, confirming that the function has indeed been performed.
Operating "statisticsll,which could otherwise be described as the various positions and conditions of the slave
units
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are continuously available to the command unit,so that the train
engineer can tell what the mid ,train units are doing,- or
not
doingl If necessary,he can initiate the proper instruction
to
change or modify the operation of these mid-train units, through
a series of radio signals.
To assure that commands (radio s ignals) from the headend are received and obeyed only by the specific slave units
to
which they are directed,a special identification signal must precede the command from the lead die se 1 (master) unit to the control
car (ROBar) or the specially-equipped mid-train diesel. If the signal b~ngsent is accidentally received by the control car of another train on an adjacent track, it is disregarded, since it
vias
not preceded by the correct code. If the command is preceded
by
the proper code, it is received by the appropriate control car, acknowledged, then retransmitted, conf inned and carried out. This coding, receiving, decoding and acknowledge ment procedure may seem to
be a very lengthy procedure,but since the whole operation is performed in microseconds, it is to all intents and purposes instantaneous.
The application of this system by different railways can
vary but generally,the command is repeated and confirmed on a pattern previously established by programming the sending and
receiving computers. This process,called continuity,may be conducted
several times a minute or, indeed ,every few seconds. The
command
diesel unit usually has a separate instrument panel which indicates the read ings on the correspond ing panel ' in the 'slave
units.
Thus,the train engineer in the command unit,while he may be halfa-mile or more away from the mid-train slaves, is still able to
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IllOLILD YOU BELIEVE - one complete LOCOTROL* system, including the "master"
and "slave" station equipment,- logic cabinets,power sources and control
console. All equipment is designed to withstand the mechanical shocks of
train operation.
Photo Radiation,Inc.
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THE CONTROL POSITION IN THE MASTER CONTROL UNIT. All of the accessories
necessary to the control of head-end and slave units are provided on or
near the unit control panel. Photo Radiation,Incorporated.
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tell \,ihat is happening in their operation. Have their motors
cut
out? Are their wheels slipping? Or are they indeed on fire? Slaveunit obedience through radio signals and standard MU controls
is
assured, just as if a real, live engineer were sitting in the
cab
with his hand on the throttle and his eye on the amperage!
As a "fail-safe" measure,the mid train slave units may
be prograllUlled to reset to the "id Ie" position, in the event of a
brake application by the train engineer, or simply because of some
variation in train-line air pressure,caused by the breaking of an
air hose or the derailment of a car. The slave units will remain in
the "idle" position until a new command is transmitted from
the
train engineer in the lead unit. In normal train operation
in
mountainous or undulating terrain,the long freight train may
be
passing through rock cuts,around curves and through tunnels.
In
these locations,radio signal reception may be poor or non-existant.
Hhile passing through such areas,a "hold" command can be manually
or automatically initiated,so that the slave units will continue
to obey the last command received, for a predetermined length
of
time and,if no new command is subsequently received,theywill go
into the "idle II position until another command is sent from
the
master unit by the engine er. Sometimes, in stretches of track where
radio-signal transmission is of unreliable quality or entirely im-
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poss ible ,an induction cable is laid along the trackside or strung
on telegraph poles. Now the command unit at the head of the train
can tr.ansmit and receive through the cable and thus communicate instantly v/ith the mid~train units.
-Mid-train control cars like ROBar do not necessarily need to be new, specially-built equipment, but may be cars converted
from other uses. Some railroads use older diesel units, with the
prime mover taken out.These units,or rather their traction motors,
operate on power generated by an adjacent unj_t, in the same fashion
that the "cow" pOltJers the "calf" in hump-yard operation. Some control units for the mid-train location will have their diesel
engines still in place and the control equipment fitted into
the
spaces formerly occupied by the steam generator or other now-nonessential equipment. Some control cars, like ROBar, are rebuilt freight
or baggage cars. CP RAIL,for example, is using rebuilt
mediumweight box-baggage cars, formerly used to transport shipments
of
silk from west-coast ports to the east and later used as baggage
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THE ENGINEER'S-EYE VIEW OF THE CONTROL PANEL ON THE MASTER CONTROL UNIT.
The dials on the upper penel plus the mode-selector switch provide
operating information to the main control position,Photo Radiation,Inc.
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and express cars on regular passenger trains. When rebuilt and with
the necessary electronic equipment installed for slave-unit control
the interiors of these cars might be expected to contain a
"pandora's BOx" of marvels,but this is not the case. Anyone peeking inside would be disappointed by the feV! rectangular metal boxes
at
various locations and the rather large bundles of wires connecting
them. That's about all. These cars do have small oil heaters provided, to raise the temperature of the interior of the car in cold
weather,Since the specialized gad~try is known to function
less
efficiently at lower temperatures.
Another application of mid-train slave units which is not
widely recognized, is for train bralting. On hundred-or-more car freights,sticking brakes or leaky air-boses or slow responses to changes in train-line air pressure can have very serious results. In
addition,attaining normal train-line air pressure and subsequent
brake tests,required before the tra'in leaves the terminal yard,can
take a lot of time when it all has to be done from and by the diesel units at the head of the train. Of course, if mid -train
units
are required for additional motive power,they can also be used to
pump air into the tratn-line. These slave units can also be
progranuned to apply or release brakes, thus supplementing the braking
action of the head-end units.
At least one test has been conducted on a Canadian
railon the
head-end was one command unit. The remainder of the pmler, some L(
or 5 equally-powerful units,was all located at mid-train,being directed through a control car with normal diesel MU connections.
'v/ay, operating through variable country, where the only
pm~er
Many variations on this theme of mid···train power are possible,at the di..scretion of the purchaser. However,no reports have
been seen of a railway using all of the variations of this equipment. It is technically possible to perform all of the variations
and "way-out" operations, but there are certain accessory considerations which must first be resolved, These difficulties are operational and not technicaL For example,when a long freight arrives
at a terminal,the engineer in the head-end command unit could cut
the train just ahead of the mid-train units and then switch
the
front section of the train to the appropriate siding. Then,through
an auxiliary control position,he could "command" the slave
units
to bring forward the remainder of the train and place it on
another siding. He could order the slave units to join the head-end
units and all of the motive power could thus proceed together
to
the maintenance shops.
Carrying this idea to the ultimate but rather impractical
conclusion,one might postulate the movement of command and
slave
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CP RAIL's 1967 EXPO LIMITED (no.5) westbound between the upper and lower
Spiral Tunnels with units nos. 8682,8514,8519 and 8~21 (no. 8682 has no
steam generator).Picture was taken by Mr. A.H.Coverdale,Calgary,Alta.
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units lndependently to serviclng points or during the conduct
of
the necessary switching mov e ments. One might even imagine
the
line-side operation of crevsless trains on a progranuned schedule,
being monitored by operators in wayside stations.
However,many operational and safety considerations
are
thereby brought into prominence. These requirements of paramount
importance will always necessitate that the operation of long trains be closely watched. Grade crossings,hot-boxes,rock slides,falling trees,washouts and many, many other unanticipated operating hazards will still require the presence of the train cre\V,to observe,
evaluate and take essential corrective action.
Mention has been made of the use of mid-train
diesel
units for reasons ot.her than power. On essentially flat terrain, the
"power" requirement is absent. But there is still the necessity for
adequate braking control on very'long freights. If power is not required,let us remove .it. Now we are left with the accessory air-braking equipment. We now have a remotely-controlled mid ·-train
airbrake car (engine). It may be either a converted diesel unit or a
piece of rolling stock containing a small diesel engine, powering a
compressor unit and having the appropriate apparatus to
receive
and send radio signals from and to the command unit. The
primary
function of such a unit would be to build up and maintain the train ~line a ir pressure rapidly. Howeve r, with the added
electronic
equipment, it can apply and release the brakes,on conunand, on
the
part of the train over which it has braking jurisdiction.
Such unusual units could also help to pump up the trainline at terminals and could restore train-line air pressure qulckly,after brake tests or applications. When these air-brake cars or
units are used,the regular diesel unit which would otherwise
be
required is available for use elsewhere. At least one large Canadian railway is presently experimenting with such a mid-train slave
air-brake unit, designed for service in long freights running
across flat country where a large amount of horsepower is not needed but where adequate air-brake control must be maintained.
It is certainly obvious that the future possibilities of
remotely-controlled diesel units have just begun to be explored.The
first step from the single to the multiple-unit diesel operation
has already been taken. The fallacy of unlimited addition of power
to the head-end of freight trains has been demonstrated. Curiously
enough, the success of this head-end unit addition was directly proportional to the number of pulled drawbars! More than that.
The
most recent experience has shown that,with some designs of dieselunit trucks,too heavy a tonnage on the unit drawbar may place
a
severe and unequal strain on the rear truck of the unit, resulting
in burnt-out motors or cracked truck castings. The introduction of
the mid-train unit represents,in a measure, the solution to
this
problem.
The continuous,perfect control of slave units is still
some distance in the future. That is why CP RAIL's operating
experience with long coal unit-trains will be closely watched,
as
they wind up and over Rogers Pass,early in 1970.
ESPRIT DE VAPEUR
v
6218
o
J .-M.
§ A~D1
Leclerc
IE 11 OCTOBRE DERNlliR,
un train spectal
nolise par l'A ssociati on Historique Canadienne
du Chemin de Fer a faU un voyage de Montreal
a Quebec. Le 6218 du CN, une gros se machine du
type 4-8-4, qui jusqu'a 1960 tirait l'Express
Maritime et l'Ocean Limite,ttrant six wagons
d 'epoque pe ints vert et noir,arrivait a Charny a 2.30 h. p.m.
Son sifflet strident e t le bruit de la vapeur,le panache
de
fumee,avait attire de nombreux spectateurs a la gare de Charny.Plusieurs cheminots rctraites qui revivaient avec nogtalgie l'epoque
qu'11s avaierit connue,ou les trains etaient associes avec
l'idee
de puissance et de rapidite,la 6218 pouvait atteindre cent milles
l'heure avec douze wagons.
A L'arrivee a la gare de Charny,le mecanicien en etait-il conscient? Il fit retentirplusieurs fois le sifflet strident de
la
machine. Des retraites du CN etdes amateurs de chemins de fer manifestaient leur joie. Je vis m@me quelques uns essuyer une
larme
furtive,pret extant la fumee qui leur montait aux yeux. Nous eumes
le privilege de monter su r le train. Les wagons eta:ient du modele
de 1939,fenetres grandes ouvertes laissant penetrer le bruit des
roues sur les ralls,les haletements de la machine,ponctues de nombreux coups de sifflets.
Le train special traversa le Pont de Quebec,le bruit etait assou rdissant
Ste -Foy, il y avait une foule des parents, des enfants
qui pour la premiere fois voyaient ce monstre haletant. Des
cris
d 'admiration. On reprH de la vitesse pour atteindre Quebec. 11 y
a dix
douze passages
niveau pour atte indre la gare du Palais a
Quebec. A chaque passage ,le mecanicien faisait retentir le puissant
sifflet. De nombreux citoyens de Quebec prenaient des photos, plusi eurs avaient magnetoptlOnes pour enregistrer le bruit du train et
le puis sant sifflet.
L'arrivee a la gare du Palais de ce train d 'autrefois
fut
salue par un millier de personne s . Le 6218 fut detachee du train, se
rendit pres de la rue st-paul,ou une voiture pompe du Service des
incendies de Quebec attendait pour remplir la prOvision d 'eau
de
18,500 gallons dans le tender de la grosse locomotive,pour
permettre le retour
Montreal. Des centaines de Quebecois revivaient
un r~ve de leur enfance. Qui n'a r~e un jour de conduire une locomotive? C'etait un moment de r@ve pour plusieurs; on se pressait
pres de l'enorme machine,mais il fallait retourner la 6218,qui recula lentement dans un nuage de fumee et de vapeur, pour de nouveau
s 'atteler au train.
Ie mechanacien avait peut-etre la nostalgie du temps ou
les
trains etaient des vrais trains. A chaque traverse a niveau,il fit
a
a
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THE EVER-LOVIN',LIVIN' IMAGE of Canadian National's GREAT PUMPKIN (with
apologies to Schultz ) no. 6218,made one of her all too-infrequent
appearancee at the Museum of Science and Technology,Ottawa,Canada,in September,1969.
Photo courtesy of J. Langevin,Ottaw8,Ont.
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ROARING DOWN THE MAIN LINE with a merveilleux panache de vapeur,no. 6218
gladdens the hearts of the emis du chemin de fer! Later,under the watchful eye of the roed foreman,she steams quietly in the bright sunshine.
Photo courtesy J. Lengevin,Ottawa,Ont.
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entendre le sifflet;c'etaH l'adieu de la 6218
Q,uebec en
cette
belle journee d 'automne ou le soleil eclairait le paysage d 'or et
de pourpre. On retraversa le fameux Pont de Q,uebec,le bruit
des
roues sur les rails et les haletements puissants de la 6218 tirant
les wagons qui percutaient par le s fen€tres ouvertes eta it
comme
une symphonie dans ce bel apres-midi d'automne.
A Charny au retour,la foule etait toujours dense,un court arr&t pour laisser descendre l'auteur de cet article et son fils, et
le train disparait dans le soleil c ouchant. I.e panache de fumee et
quelque s coups de sifflet et le train dlsparait sur le s rails luisants. La 6218 et sa convoi d 'autrefois nous laissait tous r€veurs
sur le quai de la gare de Charny.
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NO. 6218 PAUSES ON THE BRIDGE AT Upton,QuB.,before setting out on the
next stage of the October,1969,trip to Victoriavills and Quebec.
Photo courtesy J. Langevin,Ottawa,Can.
A LITTLE TIGHTENING HERE - A SPOT OF OIL THERE generally suffices to
keep Her Excellency No. 6218 in good spirits. Her able attendants were
providing a little "t.l.c." (tender,loving care) at the Museum of Science and Technology,Ottawa,Canada,on September 20,1969.
Photo courtesy J. Langevin,Ottawa,Can.
Resume.
Spirit
of
steam.
No. 6218 makes a Comeback.
Saturday,October 11,1969,a special train organized by the C.R.
H.A. made a trip from Montreal to Quebec ........ hauled by the 6218
which,up until 1960 hauled the Maritime express and the Ocean Limited,leading 6 passenger cars of that era,painted green and gold ...
Its strident whistle and the sound of the steam .... attracted a
number of spectators ...... together with a number of CN pens ioners.
The special train traversed the famous Quebec Bridge and the
noise of arrival at Ste-Foy was overpowering .•.... Many of Quebec's
citizens came to welcome the train on its arrival at Palais station
equipped with cameras and tape-recorders, the latter to record the
sound of the train and the piercing whistle ..•...• the engine
was
uncoupled from the train and moved to a siding near st-Paul street
where the fire brigade was waiting to fill up the tender with water. Hundreds of Quebecers watching evoked their childhood dream
of being an engineer of a huge locomotive. They crowded around the
magnificent machine to get a closer look, but soon it was time for
6218 to rejoin its train for the trip back to Montreal.
The special crossed the Quebec Bridge once again, with a clatter and a rumble,62l8's piercing whistle echoing from the girders.
The robust exhaust could be heard through the open windows of each
passenger car, creating an autumn symphony with the clickety-clack
of the wheels on the rails.
There were still many people at the station when the train
returned to Charny and stopped to leave the author of this story
and his son. With a mounting pillar of smoke and some blasts of
the whistle, the train rumbled westward over the gleaming rails .
6218 and her train of yesterday disappeared into the sunset, leaving us all dreaming on the platform of the station at Charny.
MELVILLE?§
MONUMENT
Photos by
Mr. K.G.Younger
Mr. J.S.Nicholson
O u r Prairie colleagues,Mr. K.G.younger
of Winnipeg and Mr. J.S.Nicholson of
saskatoon have combined to produce
an up-to-date pictorial record
of
the doings of Canadian National Railway's Pacific no. 511L~,
formerly
held at CN's Transcona Shops at Winnipeg,Man.
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This locomotive, the last of the prairie steamers,was officially donated to the City of Melvj.lle,sa $ k.,on Septemb e r 22, 1969,
by CN Pra lrie Region Vice -Pre s ident Mr. E.P .Stephenson.
Symbol ic
transfer of the veteran locomotive was accompli s hed when Mr. Stephenson presented a gilded brake handle for the locomotive to the
Mayor of Me lville ,His Worship Peter Dielschneider.
Dr. David Ames,Chairman of the Regi.onal park Board and Master of Ceremonies for the presentation,expresse d the thanks of the
citizens to the Melville Jaycees, \>Tho through a mammoth WALKATHON,
raised a considerable amount of money,the interest on which
will
finance annual maintenance for No. 511}.j.. He also paid tribute
to
the work of Mr. Grant Lawson and his crew, through whose voluntary
efforts the locomotive was moved to its permanent location.
In his remarks,Mr . Stephe·nson reminded his audience that it
had been more than sixty years since the steam locomotive first arrived in Melville and · that the day's ceremony was to welcome back
Number 5114 as a permanent guest, "to remind us all of the
important role that steam (railroading) has played in the history
of
this City". Reviewing the life of Number 5l14,Mr. Stephenson
recalled that she was used for several years in passenger service in
and out of saskatoon and had been, without doubt,a frequent visitor
to Melville. She was Canadian National' s last steam locomotive in
storage in western Canada.
A member of CN's class J-·4 -d,Number 5114 was part of an order of locomotives built by Montreal Locomotive Horks, Limited,
in
1919 (BIN 61480, Order Q 273). Originally designed to burn coal,she
was converted to an oil-burner in her latter years. vlhen operating
she weighed 216 tons and had an overall length,including the tender
of 76 feet. Most of her total mileage was run in eastern canada, on
trains out of Toronto,but in 1958, she was one of a group of CN locomotives transf_erred to western Canada. Her final tour of duty in
service came in 1960,when she was leased for several months to the
Northern Alberta Railways. Prior to her advent to the City of Melville ,Number 5114 was restored exteriorally to her appearance when
she belonged to Canadian National Railways in the late 1950's.
The first picture in the sequence,taken by Mr. K."G.younger ,
shows Number 5114 after her beauty treatment at CN's Transcona Shops. The remainder of the illustrations,taken by Mr. J.S.Nicholson
show the locomotive at various locations, during her run from the CN
yards to the exhibition site.
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THE MOST VALUABLE SQUARE MILE OF INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE in Atlantic Canada,- Saint John,N.B.'s GRANDVIEW INDUSTRIAL PARK. At the bottom of the
picture,the Seint John Shipbuilding and Drydock Company Limited; in the
middle foreground is the giant Rothesay Paper Corporation newsprint mill.
Nearby is the multi-million dollar thermal power plant of the New Brunswick Elactric Power Commission. At the top of the picture is the
huge
refinery of Irving Oil Company Limited-Irving Refinery Limited,scheduled
for expansion. Grandview Industrial Park is outlined and indicated by an
arrow at the top right.
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NOTHING EVER
HAPPENS IN THE
MARITIMES
Phillip Fine.
Photos by the Author.
Just in case the impression has been
created that all of the visitors
to Prince Edward Island this past
summer have been just ,s itting around doing nothing,it should be
acknowledged that after two or
three days of rest, they are anxious to start looking for something else to do. They want
to
be AMUSED!
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The newest thing advertised by Canadian National Railways was
a "Moonl1.ght Cruise" on the M,V, LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY . This unusual
di.version started on August 19 from Charlottetown Harbour, with a
dance band and all Ule other "ingredients" aboard the ship for a
four-and-a-half hour evening's entertai.nment.
The ship left Charlottetown at 9 p.m. and returned in
the
scandalous wce hours of the morning. This was a change of pace from
the diet of potato juice normally available t6 visitors wishing to
sample the wilder side of Charlottetown's nocturnal activitie s .The
press release was very "pure" in its de.scription of "other ingred1.ents",me ntioned above,probably due to 1ntimidation by the local
temperan.ce soci e ties, but noted that the LUCY MAUD was, in some ways
a floating nightclub. The ve ry idea of serving Green Gables Rum on
board the ship i~) quite terrifying,especially in the light of bitter experience and the knoHn aftereffects.
The M,V,LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY is usually tied up at night, due
to the fact that the M,V ,JOHN HAMILTON GRAY and M,V.ABEGWEIT have
more than enough capacity to handle the flow of traffic in midweek
pertods.
A recent vis1.t to the bustling Bay of Fundy port of satnt John,N,B"required an i.nspecti.on of the preparations being made for
Mr. K ,C ,Irv ing' s SUPERPORT at Mispec, a pro,jected deepwater terminal some four and a half miles southeast of the Irvtng Reftnery.D2spite all of the recent local publicity and public interest,
the
entrance to the site was as thoroughly shrouded in secrecy as the
U,S,S,R,'s rocket base in central Asia. However,two large oil storage tanks are too big to be camouflaged and the stx additional monsters i.ndicated on the blueprints will be vtsible for miles 1 Other
accessortes will be a pipeline from the refinery to a dock about a
mile offshore in the Bay of Fundy,vlhere supertankers can tie up and
discharge the crude. From the Mispec Superport tanks, the crude on
wtll be pipe lined to the refinerY,much to the chagrin of CN,
who
could do it tn tank cars on an extensiol<l of thetr Grandview Industrial Park spur. Further developments are awatted wtth keen anttcipation.
In the City of Satnt John itself,CP RAIL has completed its
ne\<1 access line to the Union Station. The new line was completed in
April,1969 and is nOVI (August) fully ballasted, signalled and ready
for use. This new approach line was necessary due ~o the construction of the ne", Mill Street Viaduct and the expressvlay connections
to the Harbour Bridge and Hest Sa1.nt John. Not all of the old line
has been demolished,as part of it serves as the lead tracks to CP
RAIL's express and express-freight yard,near Union Station. Preliminary construction of an extension to the expressway east towards Cold Brool< and the present Saint John-Moncton highway
has
resulted in the dismar.tling of one corner of Union Station trainshed,with eve ntual demolition of this noteworthy structure a strong poss1.bUity.
C
::::*'::
:::)c
:::3
ONE OF THE MOST RECENT CN SHIPS in Northumberland Straits service the M.V,LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY, scene of some high goings-on in
the
summer of 1969,
CANADIAN
24
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THE MAP shows the general area surrounding the
Port of Saint John,N.B. The large area to the
left of the Harbour is West Saint John,
long
the site of CP RAIL's port complex. The new expressway connection from West Seint John to the
City Centre is shown,as is the Irwin Refining
Limited and the Grandview Industrial Park. Not
so obvious is the CP RAIL-CN station in
the
business area of the City.The photograph shows
the beginning of the demolition of the old station,- ths Union Station, used by both Canadian
National and CP RAIL,
=
::xc
::Ie
:::::x
From the foregoing,you can conclude that the idea that nothing ever happens in Canada's Maritime Provinces is quite \Hong.
Hhere else in Canada can you get "scandalous " moonlight
voyages
on a floating nightclub and where e lse could you find a superport
operation sponsored by a very private and extremely independent
oil company?
mools ~
:
111111
II
111111
I
l
II/ /
II :
:$ 1,000
1b 2,000
TlHWK YClJ. THAi":K YOU , I<,}I'IO AND
PHfLANrROPHIC 8E i~EfAC fOR . rOI~
YOUR MAGIIANIt'.(LJS COfl'TRIClJTlOU
TO. OJR ~OOOAS" fUND, VCUA
/'(UN lrJ CHIC E HAS avEnUlH(l~,ED
ML.
$ 3,000
$ 4,000
$ 5,000
$ 6,000
The following contributors for the DOORS Fund for Building Number
2 at the Canadian Railway Museum are gratefully acknowledged:
RATHBURN
HUMPHRIES
KEET
FINE
ANGUS
YOUNG
CHAPMAN
HILL
WINGROVE
SMITH
GRANT
CHEASLEY
Eldon
David
Fred
Philip
D.F.
W.E.
L.B.
Alan
G.P.
D.
Allan
C.S.
BLENKHORNE
CHRISTIN
EVANS
ASHBY
JONES
WILCOX
ANDEROON
PLANT
TURNER
CIDPPER
CARTWRIGHT
PHILLIPS
D.M.
Roger
M.B.
Wm.
D.L.
R.L.
C.W.
T .0 •
H.P.
H.G.
G.F.
W.
BARRETT
HANNING
NEW LANDS
DICKOON
MITCHELL
BOSTON
GREEN
D'INI'INO
HARR INGTON
UNSWORTH
RAICHE
C.A.
E.W.
David
J.W.
R.A.
M.J.
W.L.
E.J.
C.F.
T.E.
J.
BY
F.A. K.EMP
CANADIAN NATIONAL CHANGES PASSENGER SERVICES AGAIN-----January 7,1 970,marked another "change of time" for Canadian National passenger trains. The latest trains to be
"axed" were Trains 5 & 6, the PANORAMA, between Winnipeg,
Man. and Vancouver,B.C. and Trains 16 & 17,the CHALEUR,
between Montreal,Que. and Moncton,N.B. Trains 14 & 15,
the CHALEUR, will be re-timed to connect with the SCOTIAN
(Train 12) eastbound and the OCEAN,westbound,with through
equipment to and from Montreal. New Brunswick's capital,
Fredericton,will be provided with a bus connection
with
the OCEAN at Newcastle,N.B. Daily RAILINERS will run from
Montreal to Edmunston,N.B. and Edmunston to Moncton,N.B.
The RAILINERS will be handled at the rear of con ventional
trains between Montreal and Charny, Que.,in the same manner as Montreal~uebec RAILINERS nos. 6)3 & 634.
During the peak summer travel period in 1970,the CHALEUR
will be restored as a special, separate train and two (2)
SUPER CONTINENTALs will operate from Montreal to Vancouver and Toronto to Vancouver.
LIST OF PASSENGER SERVICE ABANDONMENT APPLICATIONS - Nov. 9 ,1969:
Canadian National Railways - 13 applications
Train
Operating loss d ur ing
number (s)
Route
1968
Toronto-Markham,Ont.
990
$ bl,"785
Toronto-Guelph,Ont.
114,205
986-987
70-72-76- Montreal-Chambord-Chicoutimi,Que.
172
(Total for the three
183-184Chambord-Dolbeau,Que.
lines: )
185-186
Quebec-St-Raymond-Chicoutimi,Que.
$ 1,602 , 176
176-177
Quebec-Senneterre-Cochrane , Ont.
74-75
Senneterre-Noranda-Rouyn,Que.
(Total for the three
174-175
(novI "combined")
lines: )
76-79
Montreal-Hervey,Que.
$ 2, 8 29 ,768
Mxd.260-261 La Tuque-Parent,Que.
7,901
Mxd.264-265 Parent-Senneterre,Que.
14,019
87-88
Toronto-North Bay-Kapuskasing,Ont.
915,114
90-91-92- Winnipeg-The Pas-Thompson-Churchi11,Man. ) , 303 ,343
CANADJAN
93
294-295
692-693694-695
9-10
MXD.297298
611-612613-614
27
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Wabowden-Gi11am-Churchi11,Man.
19,257
Edmonton-Camrose-Ca1gary-Drumhe11er,A1ta. 420,937
Jasper-Prince George-Prince Rupert,B.C. 2,091,345
McBride-Prince George,B.C.
~,073
Moncton-Saint John,N.B.
246,310
Total operating loss in 1968 ••.•.••••• $ 11,630,233
CP RAIL - 18 applications:
1-2
11-12
1-2-3-4-56-7-8
41-42
Montrea1-Toronto-vancouver,B.C.
$ 11,630,233
Dominion Atlantic Railway
317,100
Ha1ifax-Yarmouth,N.S.
Montreal-Saint John,N.B.
2,145,100
149-151-152~
Montrea1-Quebec,Que.
1,905,600
153-154-155156
201-206
Montrea1-Sherbrooke-Megantic,Que.
437,000
167-164Montreal-Mont Laurier,Que.
159,500
174
131-132Montrea1-Lachute-Ottawa,Canada
727,800
.133-134137-138
232-233Montrea1-Vank1eek Hi11-ottawa,Canada
1,054,800
234-235
380-381Toronto-Peterborough-Have10ck,Ont.
414,900
382-383
302-306Toronto-ower. Sound, Ont.
109,200
307
321-322
Toronto-Hami1ton,Ont.
334,900
Toronto-Windsor ,Ont.
337-338
829,000
417-418
Sudbury-White River,Ont.
243,400
427-428
Sudbury-Sault ste.Marie,Ont.
260,800
303-304
Calgary-Edmonton, Alta.
1,088,800
309-310Calgary-Lethbridge, Alta.
202,300
311-312
307-308
Lethbridge-Medicine Hat,A1ta.
169,800
1-2
Esquimau1t & Nanaimo Railway
139,800
Victoria-Courtenay,B.C.
Total operating loss in 1968 •••••••••• $30,090,700
Combined CN & CP RAIL losses in 1968 .•••••••••• $ 41,720,933
Operating losses on the Montreal-Hervey, ~ntreal-Sherbrooke, Toronto-Peterborough, Toronto-Windsor and Calgary Edmonton lines are
derived from trains operated in 1968. These operations have since
been curtailed and the train numbers given are those presently in
operation,with the exception of CN's Montreal-Hervey runs.
CANADIAN
28
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NOTES FROM OOUl'H OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY--------Passenger train services continue to "bite the dust" in
our neighbour to the south. The Kansas City Southern
Louisiana & Arkansas Trains 1 & 2, the OOUl'HERN BELLE ,
\1ere discontinued November 2,1969,ending Kansas City-NevI
Orleans, La. passenger train service and making the KCS a
"freight only" system.
Union Pacific Railroad's local trains 5 & 6, bet\1leen Omaha,
Nebr. and Los Angeles,Ca1if.,have been discontinued. This
service ''las one of the very few local trains in the western United states and its abandonment application was delayed for nearly two years. The long list of stations in
the mandatory notice covered three pages.
The SILVER COMET, seaboard Coast Line's Richmond,Va.-Atlanta,
Ga. train has apparently also been discontinued.
In the November,1969,issue of CANADIAN RAIL,the Editor transferred
ownership of the Western & Atlantic Rai1way,from Atlanta,Ga. to Chattanooga,Tenn.,from the state of Georgia (to whom it rightfully
beiongs) to the state of Alabama. It is operated under lease by the
Louisville & Nashville Railroad. (As i f the lOSS of the GENERAL
wasn't enOUghl) In the same issue,the "place where the passengers
used to detrain" in New Or1eans,La.,\'as reduced from the status of
a TERMINAL to that of a station. The Ed itor has been suitably adm:>nished.
ANOTHER NEW ST~ION ?? --------------------------------Timetable students and passengers, \'londering \-Thy they can
no longer transfer between CN trains at London,Ont.,will
find the explanation in the fact that Canadian National
has built yet another new station in the "Forest City" ,
the third one in thirty-one years,- a pretty fair average.
The latest or.e has only one useable platform,so that only
one train can enter the station at a time. Therefore,passengers can no longer make convenient connections bet\1leen
Hindsor and Chatham and stratford,Kitchener,Guelph and Brampton,or betvleen Sarnia and points west and {~oodstock
Brantford and Hami1ton,as often as before,although
more
trains are being operated.
The ne\, station is "in" the ground floor of the new
CN
TO\1er build ing, on the same site as the 1938 station, but
the latter 's be1m,-track-level concourse has been cut off
through the construction of a depressed road\'lay,encircling
the new building. The interim station, which is now being
converted to office space (Parkinson IS LaviS apply to the
CN,tool) was connected to the 1938 concourse by a
long,
covered ramp. At least the station has been maintained in
its downtown location!
DAYLINERS GALORE AND THE ~.07------------------------------------­
CP RAIL's Train 191,leaving Montreal's VTindsor Station at 170'7 ,on
a shuttle commuter run to M:ontreal West,was converted to a
nineunit DAY LINER train in November, thus d ispens ing with the use of 8
CANADIAN
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heavyweight coaches and one member of the crew. Undoubtedly,
the
fuel cost for the train operation was increased, as the total horsepower available increased from 1500 to 5000.
This train returns to Windsor street "deadhead" and departs again
at 1750 as Train 291 to Vaudreuil,Que. On Friday evenings,only six
cars are operated. There are thus at least 31 RDC DAYLINER
units
operating out of Montreal,of which 22 are in suburban service.
CP RAIL & THE NE\-1 EQUIPMENT ---------------------------Two of the long-awaited CP RAIL "gallery" suburban commuter coaches were delivered in November,1969,but were
returned to Canadian Vickers Limited after testing
revealed mechanical faults. They were expeci;ed to reappear
in mid-December, but were not observed.
Mlil-VTorthington,Limited,began outshopping the first C-636
road-freight units late in November, 1969.
CP RAIL announced the plac ing of an order for 'six 2000 hp.
road-switcher units from General Motors Diesel Limited in
London,Ont. Delivery is expected to begin in May,1970 and
the price tag is $ 1.8 million.
CP RAIL has also ordered 400 covered hopper cars from Marine Industr ies, Limited, of &>rel, Que.
CANADIAN NATlDNAL GOES SHOPPING----------------------------------National Steel Car Corporation has received a $ 10 million
order
for 500 box cars from Canadian National. Delivery will begin
in
January,1970 and continue at the rate of 10-12 cars a day until the
order is completed in March.
It is reported that CN will soon announce an order for 3600 hp. diesel road-fre ight units from MD'l -Horthington Limited. They will be
nwmbered in the 2300 series.
AND SELLS A FE\~ THINGS---------------------------------CN recently offered for sale by tender the car ferry S.S.
PRINCE ErnvARD ISLAND. Tenders closed on December 12,1969.
The vessel was built in 1915 by Armstrong Whitworth & Co.,
Limited,Newcastle-on-Tyne,England and provided the first
reliable,year-around service between Prince Edward Island
and the rest of Canada. After she was placed in service,
the Island's railways were gradually converted from
the
original 3 feet 6 inch-gauge to standard gauge. The job
was completed in 1929 and another ferry, the S.S.CHARLOTTETOWN joined the service,operating until 1941,when
she
sank in a storm off Nova scotia while returning from
a
refit. The Canso strait ferry S.S.SCOTIA II helped out until 1947,when the new diesel-powered ferry M.V.ABEGWEIT
entered service.
The S.S. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND was retired late in 1968,
when she was replaced by the new M.V. JOHN HAMILTON GRAY.
Since then, she has been tied up at Charlottetown, awaiting disposal. The wheelhouse and its contents have been
CANADIAN
30
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donated to the Museum of Science and Technology at ottawa.
Two other vessels are used in the ferry service to
and
from the Island. M.V. CONFEDERATION joined the service in
1964 and M.V. LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY in 1969,but these vessels carry road vehicles and passengers only.
The S.S. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND was 300 feet 10ng,52
feet
wide and had a displacement of 1,109 tons and a gross tonnage (by cubic measurement) of 2,794.8 tons. There
were
two tracks on the railway deck "'lith space for twelve 40foot freight cars or six passenger-train cars. The track
deck was floored for road vehicles and about 50
automobiles were carried on the upper deck. She was one of the
last four-funneled vessels in Canadian service. The S.S.
LANB1XMNE,CN's Detroit River sidewheeler,is also a fourstacker.
A NEW DESIGN FOR AN OLD DESIGN-----------------------------------The European headquarters of Canadian National Railways, not
far
from London's famous Trafalgar Square,is to be renovated in
the
near future. Built by the Grand Trunk Railway in the early 1900's,
the building served as that Company's head office,when the G.T.R.
was operated by the London Board of Directors. While the
essential quality of the building will be retained,changes will
include the provision of first-class office space, updated lighting,
heating and air-conditioning, new furnishings, floor coverings and
draperies. On the ground floor,the main entrance and the Canadian
Government Travel Bureau office will be redesigned and CN's identification with the butlding will be emphasized.
PIGGYBACK IN P.E.I. -----------------------------------Canadian National instituted "Plan 2" piggyback service
between Prince Edward Island points and central Canadian
cities early in November,1969. It is hoped,by this method,
to increase freight traffic to and from the Island
communities. Is·it only a coincidence that Plan 2 Piggyback
went in just after Plan 0 passenger service went out?
CANADIAN PACIFIC-ONE MORE WAY TO SERVE --------------------------From a recent issue of the Canada Gazette: "Notice is hereby given
that Canadian Pacific Railway Company will apply to the Parliament
of Canada,at the present, next or following ensuing session thereof
for an Act authorizing it to purchase the railway freight switching undertaking of the Cornwall Street Railway,Light and Power Company,Limited,situate in and near the City of Cornwall in the Province of Ontario. Dated at Montreal,this 17th. day of November
1969. T.F.Turner,Secretary."
The Cornwall Street Railway,Light and Power Company, usually known
as the "C.S.R.",operates one of the last two common-carrier electric switching operations in Canada. The line is a belt line, beginning at the plant of Cortaulds,Limited,in the City's east end.
It runs north"'lestward to the old CN main line and, turning southwest,crosses the Cornwall Branch of CP RAIL at grade,Hith an in-
terchange. Following the CN's old main line southwest (some
CN
trackage is electrified) the belt line reaches the "west end",where a net'l'/ork of tracks serve the DOMTAR Paper Limited plant, as
well as a number of smaller industries, some of which use by-products from the paper mill. Turning southeast, the electric line follows Cumberland street to Water Street and the banks of the
old
Cornwall Canal and the st. Lawrence River. The track leads to the
former plant of the Canadian Cottons, Limited, now used for warehousing and light manufacturing and to the C.S.R.'s main shops.
Usually,8 locomotives are maintained and there is a motor-flat /
wing-plow (ex Montreal Tramways Company no. 3052) and two former
ottawa Transportation Commission sweepers. Welding Car no. 4 is
former passenger car no. 29. streetcar serv ice ended in 1948, bll.t
the Company operates trolley coaches.and motor buses. The
Company was once well-known as a repository for second-hand streetcars and its electric locomotives have continued the tradition,
some of them being third or even fourth-hand! Several were purchased from the Grand River Raih/'ay and the Lake Erie and
Northern Rall\~ay when CP RAIL replaced electric operation with diesel power on those central Ontario lines.
ONTARIO'S GET UP & "GO" HAS GOT UP & WENT -------------On November 26th.,1969,premier Robarts of Ontario announced that three GO TRANSIT demonstration projects would be
set up by tqe mid-1970's,to provide express bus extensions
for the present GO TRANSIT rail line between-pickering and
Oakville ,Ontario, and "mini-buses" to furnish collector service in certain areas. Express buses would connect
with
each GO TRANSIT train at Oakville for Bronte,Burlington &
Hamilton,and at Pickering for Ajax,Whitby and Oshawa.
To
the north, three commuter trains would be chartered from CN
for morning and evening rush-hour service between Toronto
and Richmond Hill. Express buses would provide service at
other times and will also provide service between Richmond
Hill and other communities,connecting with the trains. The
but
Government of Ontario will not itself run the buses,
will finance Gray Coach Lines to provide the necessary equipment and serv+ce. Gray Coach Lines is a subsidiary of
the Toronto Transit Commission, operating local and intercity buses in the Toronto area.
With the announcement of this plan, extension of GO TRANSIT
rail services east and north seems unlikely.
C
~
:::xc
>:
,
Dominion Car & Foundry Company's Lot 19- C.P.R.sample box car.
FROM
THE
ASSOCIATION S
CANADIAN
RAIL
by
published
the
:~~t~:,;2~u::"lon
CANADIAN RAILROAD HISTOFJC.II.l ASSOCIATION
Assooiate
Membership
"Canadian
EDITORIAL
Canadian Railway MuselUn
OPEN
MAY
LJ.
SEPT.
DIRECTOR
OF
•
ASSOCIATION
)ojr. H.lves on
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
of
P , Murphy
Kemp
F,F , Angus
VISITEZ
LE
Musee Ferroviaire Canadien
OUVERT
AND
MAI· SEPT.
BRANCHES
248, Quebec, Canada.
BRANCHES
, Be ct 'y •• P.O.Box 352, Terminal "A" Ottawa Onto
lir .. Donald ,".Sca re 12407 lBn scto wne Drive, Apt. 101, Edmonton Alta o
ASSOCIATION
OTTAWA VALLEY
SASKATCHEWAN
PACI FIC COAST
FAR EAST
BRITISH ISLES
IIA NITOBA
ALBERTA
&
V
MEMBERSHIP
Mr. J.A.Beatty. 4982 Queen Mary Road, Montreal
OTTAWA
issues
F.A
J,A,Beatty
~
THE
11
'B'
annually,
ASSOCIATE
DISTRIBUTION
VISIT
e,oo
PRODUCTION
S , ".N"orthen
EDITOR
inoluding
Rail"
ARCHIVES
REPRESENTATIVES
K.F.Chlvers. Apt. JJ 67 Somerset St. \01., ottawa. Ontario.
J.S.Nlcholoson , 2)06 Arnold St .. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Peter Cox , 609 Cotton wood Ave . , Coqultlam, British Columbia.
W.O .McK eown. 6-7. 4-chome. Yamate-cho,Sulta Cit y , Os aka, Japan.
J.H. Sanders, 67 Willow Way, Ampthill. Bed s ., .E:ngland.
K.G.Younger, 2 67 Vernon Roa d , Winnipeg, Manitoba.
~lr. Don ald W.Scafe, '12407 Lansdown e Drive, Apt. lOl,Edmonton Alta.
Copyright 1970
Print ed 1n Canada on Cannctlan paper.